Shloka 14
Kuntī’s Benediction to Draupadī and the Alliance Gifts (कुन्त्याः स्नुषाशीर्-वचनम् तथा दान-प्रतिग्रहः)
पाज्चालराजस्तु विषण्णरूप- स्तान् पाण्डवानप्रतिविन्दमान: । धृष्टद्युम्नं पर्यपृच्छन्महात्मा क्व सा गता केन नीता च कृष्णा,पांचालराज ट्रुपद पाण्डवोंका पता न पानेके कारण बहुत खिन्न थे। धृष्टद्युम्मके आनेपर महात्मा द्रुपदने उससे पूछा--“बेटा! मेरी पुत्री कृष्णा कहाँ गयी? कौन उसे ले गया?
Pāñcālarājas tu viṣaṇṇarūpas tān Pāṇḍavān aprativindamānaḥ | Dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ paryapṛcchan mahātmā kva sā gatā kena nītā ca Kṛṣṇā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The king of the Pāñcālas, Drupada, was downcast, for he could not find the Pāṇḍavas. When Dhṛṣṭadyumna arrived, that noble-hearted king questioned him: “Where has my daughter Kṛṣṇā gone? By whom has she been taken?” The verse highlights a father’s anxious responsibility and the ethical urgency of safeguarding a woman’s agency and honor amid political uncertainty.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores a ruler-father’s dharma: to seek truth and ensure the safety and dignity of his daughter, especially when political events create uncertainty. Ethical vigilance and responsible inquiry are presented as immediate duties.
Drupada cannot locate the Pāṇḍavas and becomes distressed. When his son Dhṛṣṭadyumna appears, Drupada urgently asks him where Draupadī (Kṛṣṇā) has gone and who has taken her.